Corn crib



May 3 1955 A M. BERGE 2,707,339

CORN CRIB Filed May l5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'A MNVXXA Nyyx Archie M.Berge f l, (L28 INVENTOR.

A. M. BERGE May 3, 1955 CORN CRIB 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May l5, 1952United States Patent to,

CORN CRIB Archie M. Berge, Brandt, S. Dalt. Appiication May 15, 1952,Serial No. 287,997

2 Claims. (Cl. 34N-130) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in driers and the primary object of the present inventionis to provide a machine for drying corn.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a corndrying machine including a horizon tally disposed foraminous cylinderand novel and improved means rotatably supporting and rotating thecylinder, whereby corn in the cylinder will be subjected to air passingthrough the foraminous cylinder, for the purpose of effectively dryingthe corn while the rotating action of the cylinder will discouragerodents from entering the cylinder.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a corn cribwherein the cylinder supporting and rotating means consists of a groupof side by side roller units with drive connections between rollers ofadjacent units, whereby all rollers will rotate simultaneously touniformly rotate the cylinder.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a corn cribthat is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable inuse, efficient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture,assemble, disassemble and maintain, and otherwise well adapted for thepurposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially onthe plane of broken section line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantiallyon the plane of section line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view takensubstantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner -in whichthe rollers of one support are connected to the rollers of an adjacentsupport; and

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the one of the supports used in thepresent invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral 10 represents a plurality of supports each havinga pair of spaced parallel vertical walls 12 with arcuate or downwardlyconcaved upper portions 14.

The upper portions 14 of each support are provided withcircumferentially spaced hollow lugs or bosses 16 that receive bearings18. Horizontal shafts 2t) extend through the bearings 18 and theoutwardly projecting ends 22 of the shafts 20 are splined orinultisided.

An angle iron bar 24 is suitably xedly secured to each support 10. Thehorizontal flanges of the bars 24 are formed with longitudinally spacedapertures that receive 2,707,339 Patented May 3, 1955 bolts 26, wherebythe supports may be removably secured to footings or rails 28.

The supports 10 are disposed in side by side relation on the footings28. A plurality of coupling sleeves 30 are associated with each supportand the sleeves are formed with multisided or internally splined bores32 that receive the ends 22 of shafts 20. Connector rods 34 extendingbetween adjacent supports 10 are provided with multisided ends 36 thatenter the sleeves 30 of adjacent supports.

The forwardnrost of the supports is designated by the numeral 10a anddiffers from the other supports in that the forwardly projecting ends ofthe shafts 20 it supports carry sprockets 38. The Vertical ilange of thebar 24 of support 10a Iis provided with an upstanding ear 40 thatreceives a horizontal bearing 42 extending transversely and centrallythrough the walls of support 10a.

A reduction gear box 44 is mounted on the footings 28 and is providedwith a driving shaft that is operatively connected to a power plant 46supported adjacent and in front of support 10a. The driven shaft 48 ofthe gear box extends horizontally into the bearing 42 and carriessprockets 50 and 52. Chains 54 and 56 are engaged about the sprocketsSti and 52, respectively, and also extend about the sprockets 38.

Rollers S8 are centrally keyed on the central portions of shafts 20 ofthe supports 10 and lita. The rollers 58 are confined between the walls12 of the supports 1() and 10a, and may be removed from the supportswhen the shafts 20 are withdrawn from the bearings 18.

A foraminous cylinder or drum 60 is horizontally rotatably supported onthe rollers 58. Cylinder 60 is provided with an opening intermediate itsends, the side edges of which support tracks 62 for a sliding closure 64having a hand grip 66. Cylinder 60 'is preferably constructed of twosimilar halves that are removably secured together as at 68.

A plurality of longitudinally spaced channel shaped rings 7i) aresuitably xed to the outer periphery of the cylinder 60 and faceoutwardly to receive the rollers S8 which ride against the webs of thechannel shaped rings. The rings function as reinforcing andstrengthening members for the cylinder and additionally constitute guidemeans for the rollers.

Angle iron rings 72 are iixed about the ends of the cylinder 60 andsupport open bracing frameworks 74 that are secured by welding or thelike to the rings 72. The frameworks 74 support spaced parallelhorizontal rods 76 that extend longitudinally through the cylinder 60. Apair of relatively perpendicular wall members 78 extend longitudinallythrough the cylinder and are fixed to the rods 76. An elongatedperforated concavoconvex section 8l) is suitably fixed between theintersecting portion of the wall members to rigidify the same andtoprevent the accumulation of corn in the apices delined by theseintersecting portions.

Figure 6 illustrates the forwardmost support in slightly modified form.In this embodiment, the rollers 58a are centrally divided so thatsprockets 82. may be fixed between the roller sections. A sprocket chain84 is engaged about the sprockets 82, extends over an idler sprocket 86on the central part of support 106 and engages a power driven sprocket88 also supported on the center of support 166 but below sprocket 86.

In practical use of the present invention, the closure 64 is moved toits open position and corn is placed into the container or cylinder 60through the uncovered opening so provided.

As the rollers 58 of adjacent supports 10, 10a are connected together,and further, since power plant 46 is operatively connected, throughreduction gearing in case 44, to sprockets 50 and 52, and the rollers ofthe support 10a are connected by either chains 54, 56 or chain 84, therollers of all support units will rotate at the same rate of speed.

The rollers 58 ride against the we bs of the channel shaped rings 70 andimpart rotation to cylinder 60. The corn will be retained in thecompartments defined by the relatively perpendicular intersecting wallmembers 78 until the compartments pass below the horizon, wheren uponthe corn will gravitate against the cylinder. The constantly rotatingwall members 78 will agitate and also scoop up the corn to assure properventilation of the corn and thereby prevent deterioration of the corn.

It should be noted that the angle iron rings 72 are removably secured byfasteners 72a to the ring elements 72b of the bracing framework, so thatthe bracing framework may be removed and additional cylindrical sectionsadded to the cylinder shown with the ring 72 of the additional sectionremovably secured to the ring 72 left exposed by the removal of thebracing frame.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A corn crib comprising a plurality of laterally spaced supports,rollers on said supports, power means for rotating said rollers, adrying cylinder of reticulated material including its ends, means onsaid cylinder rotatably supporting the same on said rollers for rotationby said rollers, a pair of rings xed on said ends, a pair of open framesextending across and fixed on said rings, a plurality of rods xed tosaid rings and extending longitudinally through said cylinder and spacedapart equidistantly from the axis of said cylinder and from each other,and a pair of crossed rectangular plates extending endwiselongitudinally of said cylinder between said rods and havinglongitudinal edges xed to the rods, said plates forming therebetweenpockets for the corn rotating with the cylinder.

2. The combination of claim 1, and concavo-convex bottom members in thepockets bracing said plates and covering the apex angles between theplates to prevent corn from sticking in said angles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS629,644 Axtell July 25, 1899 1,016,911 Von Berries Feb. 6, 19121,284,007 Whitcomb Nov. 5, 1918 1,916,047 Groseclose June 27, 19332,393,380 Jorgenson et al. Jan. 22, 1946 2,454,392 lorgenson Nov. 23,1948 2,527,826 Kooman Oct. 31, 1950

